1. LIMITED OFFICIAL USE -- ENTIRE TEXT
2. SUMMARY: WITH THE FANFARE OF FIREWORKS, THE ROAR OF
THOUSANDS OF ROCKETS, THE UNCORKING OF HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF BOTTLES OF CHAMPAGNE, SLOVAKS CELEBRATED
NOT ONLY THE COMING OF THE NEW YEAR JANUARY 1 BUT ALSO
THE MILENNIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT STATE. THE
SLOVAK PARLIAMENT, MEETING ON THAT DAY, FORMALLY ISSUED
A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. OFFICIALS ATTENDED A
HIGH MASS THAT DAY, AND HELD A RECEPTION FOR AMBASSADORS
OR CHARGES FROM THE SEVENTYODD COUNTRIES THAT HAVE
ALREADY RECOGNIZED SLOVAKIA. THE SPIRIT OF THE DAY
SEEMED TO BE "WE CAN DO IT;" A SUBTLE PSYCHOLOGICAL TURN
SEEMS TO HAVE OCCURRED TO THE REALIZATION THAT SLOVAKS
NOW ARE TRULY ON THEIR OWN. THE MAKINGS OF A NEW STATE
ARE STILL INCOMPLETE, AND THE UNCERTAINTIES OF OUTSIDERS
WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO BE RELIEVED. AS SLOVAKS RETURN
TO THEIR EVERYDAY CARES, THEY WILL SOON FIND OUT WHAT IS
IN STORE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN OF INDEPENDENCE.
END SUMMARY
3. THE SQUARE OF THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING,
BRATISLAVA'S MAIN SQUARE, WHICH HAS WITNESSED MANY
DRAMAS OF SLOVAK HISTORY SINCE IT WAS FILLED TO
OVERFLOWING IN THE HEADY DAYS OF THE NOVEMBER 1989
REVOLUTION WAS THE SCENE OF ONE MORE EPOCHAL EVENT AS
CHURCH BELLS RANG IN THE NEW YEAR OVER THE SLOVAK
CAPITAL. DESPITE THE COLD, THOUSANDS OF MERRY-MAKERS
FILLED THE SQUARE'S LOWER PORTION, TO HEAR PRIME
MINISTER VLADIMIR MECIAR ANNOUNCE THAT SLOVAKIA WAS NOW
INDEPENDENT. MANY, HOWEVER, WERE TOO INVOLVED IN THE
MERRIMENT OF THE MOMENT TO HEAR HIS WORDS. THE NEXT
MORNING, HUNDREDS OF SLOVAKS LINED THE STREETS WAITING TO
BUY THE FIRST POSTAGE STAMPS OF THE NEW REPUBLIC.
4. IN A NEW YEAR'S SPEECH TO THE NATION, MECIAR CALLED
THE DEMISE OF THE CSFR PART OF THE GEOPOLITICAL CHANGES
OCCURRING IN THE WORLD, AND ALSO OF THE DIFFERENT
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CZECH AND SLOVAK
REPUBLICS AFTER 1989, AND OF THE "MISTAKES" MADE DURING
THAT TIME. HE SAID THERE IS INDEED SOMETHING TO
CELEBRATE: NOT ONLY THE CULMINATION OF A MILLENIAL LONGING
FOR ONE'S OWN STATE, BUT ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRECTLY
PARTICIPATING IN EUROPEAN AND WORLD-WIDE INTEGRATION.
SLOVAK SECURITY WOULD BE GUARANTEED IN AN "ALL EUROPEAN
SECURITY SYSTEM." (NOTE: ON JANUARY 4, IN A SPEECH TO THE
BUDDING SLOVAK MILITARY, MECIAR SAID THAT AN ARMY IS NEED
BECAUSE, "WHILE WE HAVE NO ENEMIES, WE HAVE NO ALLIES
EITHER"). MECIAR DENIED THAT SLOVAKIA WOULD BE ISOLATED
INTERNATIONALLY, AND POINTED TO RAPID RECOGNITION BY OTHER
STATES.
5. IN DESCRIBING RELATIONS WITH THE U.S., MECIAR CALLED
THEM "IMPORTANT." HE SAID THAT, WHILE SOMEONE TRIED TO
"EMBITTER" THOSE RELATIONS TOWARD THE END OF LAST YEAR, HE
BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED (MECIAR REFERRED
TO THE EAVESDROPPING INCIDENT IMPLICITLY ONLY). WHILE NOT
EXPLICITLY VOWING TO INSURE THAT SUCH INCIDENTS NOT REPEAT
THEMSELVES, MECIAR DID STATE THAT SLOVAKIA WILL RESPECT
THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE DIPLOMATIC OFFICES OF ALL STATES
AND ALL OBLIGATIONS ARISING FROM INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTIONS. AFTER MENTIONING THE U.S., MECIAR PLACED
RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE AND THEN WITH THE
CZECH REPUBLIC, RELATIONS WHICH HE SAID WOULD BE THE "MOST
NUMEROUS." RELATIONS WITH AUSTRIA ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE
OF THE COUNTRY'S CHARACTER AS A MARKET ECONOMY AND
ADVANCED DEMOCRACY, AND WITH HUNGARY ON THE BASIS OF
"NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS" AND "INVOLABILITY
OF BORDERS." THE GABCIKOVO PROBLEM, MECIAR SAID, SHOULD
BE SOLVED BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT.
6. MECIAR SAID THAT THE STRUCTURE OF SLOVAK
ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS,
STARTING WITH CENTRAL STATE ORGANS AND CONTINUING WITH
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION; HE ASSURED THERE
WOULD BE NO "BLAVO(BRATISLAVA)CENTRALISM" TO MAKE UP FOR
THE DETESTED "PRAGOCENTRALISM." THE COUNTRY WOULD BE
BUILT UP ACCORDING TO LEGAL NORMS PREVALENT IN THE EC.
PRIVATIZATION WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE AIM OF ESTABLISHING
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CLASS. MECIAR CLOSED BY NOTING THAT
"IF WE BELIEVE OURSELVES, THE WORLD WILL BELIEVE US AS
WELL."
7. AT A SESSION HELD ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 1, THE
SLOVAK PARLIAMENT APPROVED A DECLARATION ANNOUNCING
SLOVAKIA AS ONE OF THE TWO SUCCESSOR STATES TO THE CSFR.
THE DECLARATION ASSURED THAT SLOVAKIA WOULD ASSUME ITS
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL COMMITMENTS AND BE GOVERNED ACCORDING
TO THE RULES OF A PLURALISTIC DEMOCRACY. THE PARLIAMENT
DECLARED SLOVAKIA'S INTENTION OF JOINING THE UN AND
COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND ITS READINESS TO EXCHANGE DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS WITH ALL STATES BASED ON "FRIENDSHIP AND
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE (NA MIEROVOM SPOLUNAZIVANI), ON THE
BASIS OF EQUALITY, NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS,
AND INVOLABILITY OF BORDERS. IN REMARKS BEFORE PARLIAMENT
THAT MORNING, MECIAR WARNED THAT THE COMING YEAR WOULD BE
"DIFFICULT," BUT NOT NECESSARILY MORE SO THAN PAST ONES.
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IVAN GASPAROVIC, FOR HIS PART, ASKED
HIS COLLEAGUES FOR "UNITY," NOT IN THE FORMAL SENSE THAT
DISREGARDS THE NATURAL DIFFERENTIATION OF INTERESTS, BUT
ONE THAT PLACES POLITICAL STABILITY, SPIRITUAL RENEWAL,
AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AS AIMS FOR EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF
PARTY. IN THE JANUARY 4 "PRACA," GASPAROVIC URGED HIS
FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN TO BE REALISTIC -- NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE
THEIR OWN POTENTIAL, BUT TO REALISTICALLY JUDGE THE
ECONOMIC, MORAL, AND PHYSICAL RESERVES OF THE COUNTRY AND
ITS POPULATION.
8. FOREIGN MINISTER MILAN KNAZKO, IN A JANUARY 1 PRESS
CONFERENCE, SOUGHT TO PLACE SLOVAK FOREIGN POLICY IN THE
CONTOURS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AND SECURITY. HE SAID
SLOVAKIA WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE VISEGRAD FOUR, AND
THAT AS FAR AS ARMS SALES ARE CONCERNED, SLOVAKIA WOULD
NOT EXPORT TO RISK AREAS AND WOULD SEEK TO COORDINATE ITS
APPROACH WITH SUCH STATES AS THE U.S. AND FRANCE. HE
REJECTED THE NOTION OF A RENEWED "LITTLE ENTENTE" AGAINST
POSSIBLE FUTURE HUNGARIAN EXPANSIONISM. FINALLY, HE
CAREFULLY FIELDED A JOURNALIST'S QUESTION WHICH SOUGHT TO
FORCE HIM TO DIFFERENTIATE HIS CONCEPTION OF FOREIGN
POLICY FROM MECIAR'S (MECIAR HAD PLACED THE U.S. FIRST IN
DISCUSSING FOREIGN RELATIONS, WHEREAS KNAZKO HAD SAID THAT
RELATIONS WITH SLOVAKIA'S NEIGHBORS, ESPECIALLY THE CZECH
REPUBLIC, WOULD BE ITS PRIORITIES).
9. MARIAN TKAC, WHO IS ORGANIZING THE SLOVAK NATIONAL
BANK, PREDICTED IN A JANUARY 4 INTERVIEW IN "NARODNA
OBRODA" THAT ONCE FLOATED, SLOVAKIA'S CURRENCY SHOULD NOT
LOSE MORE THAN 10 PCT OF ITS VALUE, WHICH HE CONSIDERS A
"FANTASTIC SUCCESS" GIVEN THE MUCH LARGER FALL IN THE
CZECHOSLOVAK KORUNA'S VALUE SINCE 1990. TKAC ALSO SAW ONE
OF THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF INDEPENDENCE BEING THAT IT
ALLOWS SLOVAKIA TO EXECUTE ITS OWN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL
STRATEGY.
10. COMMENT: WHILE TEARS SHED LAST WEEKEND WERE MOSTLY
TEARS OF JOY, A FEW DIE-HARDS GATHERED NEW YEAR'S EVE TO
GRIEVE THE LOSS OF THEIR CZECH CONNECTION AT THE CZECH
LION -- THE TRADITIONAL MONUMENT TO CZECH-SLOVAK
STATEHOOD. IN THE RECENT PAST, MANY SLOVAKS HAVE BEEN
GLOOMY ABOUT THE EFFECT OF INDEPENDENCE ON THEIR ECONOMIC
FUTURE. THOSE THAT CELEBRATED, HOWEVER, SEEMED TO BE
GENUINELY ELATED AT THE NOVELTY OF LIVING IN THEIR OWN
STATE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN FUTURE. ONE CAN
EXPECT THAT QUESTIONS ABOUT POLITICAL PLURALITY WILL
CONTINUE TO PLAGUE THE RULING HZDS AS SLOVAKIA LOOKS AWAY
FROM THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE AND MORE TOWARD DEVELOPING
BOTH POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY AS A STATE.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, KNAZKO AGAIN TOOK THE ROLE OF
DISSIDENT WITHIN HIS OWN MOVEMENT; IN REPLY TO A POLL
CONDUCTED BY "NARODNA OBRODA," (JANUARY 4), HE REJECTED
THE IDEA THAT THE HZDS A A MOVEMENT IS OVERSENITIVE TO
MEDIA CRITICISM, AND SUGGESTED THE QUESTIONER CONSIDER
WHICH SPECIFIC PERSONS ACT IN SUCH A WAY. HE SAID HE
REGARDS THE OPPOSITION AS AN INDELIBLE PART OF A
PLURALISTIC SYSTEM AND AN INTELLIGENT OPPOSITION AS THE
BEST COLLABORATOR OF A GOVERNING POLITICAL GROUPING.
KNAZKO WAS ALSO TRUE TO THIS THOUGHT WHEN, IN A SIDE
CONVERSATION WITH CHARGE AFTER RECEIVING THE FIRST
DIPLOMATIC VISA ISSUED BY THE US EMBASSY, HE NOTED THAT IT
WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT IN A NEW SUNDAY WEEKLY INTERVIEW
PROGRAM, SLOVAK TV DECIDED TO HAVE THE WIVES OF PROMINENT
GOVERNMENT POLITICIANS (MRS. MECIAR, PROKES, GASPAROVIC,
WEISS, KOVAC), BUT NOT THE WIVES OF MEMBERS OF THE
OPPOSITION. HACKER UNQUOTE
SWIHART

Raw content

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENNA 00031
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
THIS IS BRATISLAVA 002
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS AID
E.O. 12356:N/A
TAGS: PGOV, LO
SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT SLOVAKIA ENTERS THE WORLD STAGE
1. LIMITED OFFICIAL USE -- ENTIRE TEXT
2. SUMMARY: WITH THE FANFARE OF FIREWORKS, THE ROAR OF
THOUSANDS OF ROCKETS, THE UNCORKING OF HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF BOTTLES OF CHAMPAGNE, SLOVAKS CELEBRATED
NOT ONLY THE COMING OF THE NEW YEAR JANUARY 1 BUT ALSO
THE MILENNIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT STATE. THE
SLOVAK PARLIAMENT, MEETING ON THAT DAY, FORMALLY ISSUED
A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. OFFICIALS ATTENDED A
HIGH MASS THAT DAY, AND HELD A RECEPTION FOR AMBASSADORS
OR CHARGES FROM THE SEVENTYODD COUNTRIES THAT HAVE
ALREADY RECOGNIZED SLOVAKIA. THE SPIRIT OF THE DAY
SEEMED TO BE "WE CAN DO IT;" A SUBTLE PSYCHOLOGICAL TURN
SEEMS TO HAVE OCCURRED TO THE REALIZATION THAT SLOVAKS
NOW ARE TRULY ON THEIR OWN. THE MAKINGS OF A NEW STATE
ARE STILL INCOMPLETE, AND THE UNCERTAINTIES OF OUTSIDERS
WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO BE RELIEVED. AS SLOVAKS RETURN
TO THEIR EVERYDAY CARES, THEY WILL SOON FIND OUT WHAT IS
IN STORE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN OF INDEPENDENCE.
END SUMMARY
3. THE SQUARE OF THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING,
BRATISLAVA'S MAIN SQUARE, WHICH HAS WITNESSED MANY
DRAMAS OF SLOVAK HISTORY SINCE IT WAS FILLED TO
OVERFLOWING IN THE HEADY DAYS OF THE NOVEMBER 1989
REVOLUTION WAS THE SCENE OF ONE MORE EPOCHAL EVENT AS
CHURCH BELLS RANG IN THE NEW YEAR OVER THE SLOVAK
CAPITAL. DESPITE THE COLD, THOUSANDS OF MERRY-MAKERS
FILLED THE SQUARE'S LOWER PORTION, TO HEAR PRIME
MINISTER VLADIMIR MECIAR ANNOUNCE THAT SLOVAKIA WAS NOW
INDEPENDENT. MANY, HOWEVER, WERE TOO INVOLVED IN THE
MERRIMENT OF THE MOMENT TO HEAR HIS WORDS. THE NEXT
MORNING, HUNDREDS OF SLOVAKS LINED THE STREETS WAITING TO
BUY THE FIRST POSTAGE STAMPS OF THE NEW REPUBLIC.
4. IN A NEW YEAR'S SPEECH TO THE NATION, MECIAR CALLED
THE DEMISE OF THE CSFR PART OF THE GEOPOLITICAL CHANGES
OCCURRING IN THE WORLD, AND ALSO OF THE DIFFERENT
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CZECH AND SLOVAK
REPUBLICS AFTER 1989, AND OF THE "MISTAKES" MADE DURING
THAT TIME. HE SAID THERE IS INDEED SOMETHING TO
CELEBRATE: NOT ONLY THE CULMINATION OF A MILLENIAL LONGING
FOR ONE'S OWN STATE, BUT ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRECTLY
PARTICIPATING IN EUROPEAN AND WORLD-WIDE INTEGRATION.
SLOVAK SECURITY WOULD BE GUARANTEED IN AN "ALL EUROPEAN
SECURITY SYSTEM." (NOTE: ON JANUARY 4, IN A SPEECH TO THE
BUDDING SLOVAK MILITARY, MECIAR SAID THAT AN ARMY IS NEED
BECAUSE, "WHILE WE HAVE NO ENEMIES, WE HAVE NO ALLIES
EITHER"). MECIAR DENIED THAT SLOVAKIA WOULD BE ISOLATED
INTERNATIONALLY, AND POINTED TO RAPID RECOGNITION BY OTHER
STATES.
5. IN DESCRIBING RELATIONS WITH THE U.S., MECIAR CALLED
THEM "IMPORTANT." HE SAID THAT, WHILE SOMEONE TRIED TO
"EMBITTER" THOSE RELATIONS TOWARD THE END OF LAST YEAR, HE
BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED (MECIAR REFERRED
TO THE EAVESDROPPING INCIDENT IMPLICITLY ONLY). WHILE NOT
EXPLICITLY VOWING TO INSURE THAT SUCH INCIDENTS NOT REPEAT
THEMSELVES, MECIAR DID STATE THAT SLOVAKIA WILL RESPECT
THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE DIPLOMATIC OFFICES OF ALL STATES
AND ALL OBLIGATIONS ARISING FROM INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTIONS. AFTER MENTIONING THE U.S., MECIAR PLACED
RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE AND THEN WITH THE
CZECH REPUBLIC, RELATIONS WHICH HE SAID WOULD BE THE "MOST
NUMEROUS." RELATIONS WITH AUSTRIA ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE
OF THE COUNTRY'S CHARACTER AS A MARKET ECONOMY AND
ADVANCED DEMOCRACY, AND WITH HUNGARY ON THE BASIS OF
"NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS" AND "INVOLABILITY
OF BORDERS." THE GABCIKOVO PROBLEM, MECIAR SAID, SHOULD
BE SOLVED BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT.
6. MECIAR SAID THAT THE STRUCTURE OF SLOVAK
ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS,
STARTING WITH CENTRAL STATE ORGANS AND CONTINUING WITH
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION; HE ASSURED THERE
WOULD BE NO "BLAVO(BRATISLAVA)CENTRALISM" TO MAKE UP FOR
THE DETESTED "PRAGOCENTRALISM." THE COUNTRY WOULD BE
BUILT UP ACCORDING TO LEGAL NORMS PREVALENT IN THE EC.
PRIVATIZATION WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE AIM OF ESTABLISHING
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CLASS. MECIAR CLOSED BY NOTING THAT
"IF WE BELIEVE OURSELVES, THE WORLD WILL BELIEVE US AS
WELL."
7. AT A SESSION HELD ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 1, THE
SLOVAK PARLIAMENT APPROVED A DECLARATION ANNOUNCING
SLOVAKIA AS ONE OF THE TWO SUCCESSOR STATES TO THE CSFR.
THE DECLARATION ASSURED THAT SLOVAKIA WOULD ASSUME ITS
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL COMMITMENTS AND BE GOVERNED ACCORDING
TO THE RULES OF A PLURALISTIC DEMOCRACY. THE PARLIAMENT
DECLARED SLOVAKIA'S INTENTION OF JOINING THE UN AND
COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND ITS READINESS TO EXCHANGE DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS WITH ALL STATES BASED ON "FRIENDSHIP AND
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE (NA MIEROVOM SPOLUNAZIVANI), ON THE
BASIS OF EQUALITY, NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS,
AND INVOLABILITY OF BORDERS. IN REMARKS BEFORE PARLIAMENT
THAT MORNING, MECIAR WARNED THAT THE COMING YEAR WOULD BE
"DIFFICULT," BUT NOT NECESSARILY MORE SO THAN PAST ONES.
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IVAN GASPAROVIC, FOR HIS PART, ASKED
HIS COLLEAGUES FOR "UNITY," NOT IN THE FORMAL SENSE THAT
DISREGARDS THE NATURAL DIFFERENTIATION OF INTERESTS, BUT
ONE THAT PLACES POLITICAL STABILITY, SPIRITUAL RENEWAL,
AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AS AIMS FOR EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF
PARTY. IN THE JANUARY 4 "PRACA," GASPAROVIC URGED HIS
FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN TO BE REALISTIC -- NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE
THEIR OWN POTENTIAL, BUT TO REALISTICALLY JUDGE THE
ECONOMIC, MORAL, AND PHYSICAL RESERVES OF THE COUNTRY AND
ITS POPULATION.
8. FOREIGN MINISTER MILAN KNAZKO, IN A JANUARY 1 PRESS
CONFERENCE, SOUGHT TO PLACE SLOVAK FOREIGN POLICY IN THE
CONTOURS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AND SECURITY. HE SAID
SLOVAKIA WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE VISEGRAD FOUR, AND
THAT AS FAR AS ARMS SALES ARE CONCERNED, SLOVAKIA WOULD
NOT EXPORT TO RISK AREAS AND WOULD SEEK TO COORDINATE ITS
APPROACH WITH SUCH STATES AS THE U.S. AND FRANCE. HE
REJECTED THE NOTION OF A RENEWED "LITTLE ENTENTE" AGAINST
POSSIBLE FUTURE HUNGARIAN EXPANSIONISM. FINALLY, HE
CAREFULLY FIELDED A JOURNALIST'S QUESTION WHICH SOUGHT TO
FORCE HIM TO DIFFERENTIATE HIS CONCEPTION OF FOREIGN
POLICY FROM MECIAR'S (MECIAR HAD PLACED THE U.S. FIRST IN
DISCUSSING FOREIGN RELATIONS, WHEREAS KNAZKO HAD SAID THAT
RELATIONS WITH SLOVAKIA'S NEIGHBORS, ESPECIALLY THE CZECH
REPUBLIC, WOULD BE ITS PRIORITIES).
9. MARIAN TKAC, WHO IS ORGANIZING THE SLOVAK NATIONAL
BANK, PREDICTED IN A JANUARY 4 INTERVIEW IN "NARODNA
OBRODA" THAT ONCE FLOATED, SLOVAKIA'S CURRENCY SHOULD NOT
LOSE MORE THAN 10 PCT OF ITS VALUE, WHICH HE CONSIDERS A
"FANTASTIC SUCCESS" GIVEN THE MUCH LARGER FALL IN THE
CZECHOSLOVAK KORUNA'S VALUE SINCE 1990. TKAC ALSO SAW ONE
OF THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF INDEPENDENCE BEING THAT IT
ALLOWS SLOVAKIA TO EXECUTE ITS OWN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL
STRATEGY.
10. COMMENT: WHILE TEARS SHED LAST WEEKEND WERE MOSTLY
TEARS OF JOY, A FEW DIE-HARDS GATHERED NEW YEAR'S EVE TO
GRIEVE THE LOSS OF THEIR CZECH CONNECTION AT THE CZECH
LION -- THE TRADITIONAL MONUMENT TO CZECH-SLOVAK
STATEHOOD. IN THE RECENT PAST, MANY SLOVAKS HAVE BEEN
GLOOMY ABOUT THE EFFECT OF INDEPENDENCE ON THEIR ECONOMIC
FUTURE. THOSE THAT CELEBRATED, HOWEVER, SEEMED TO BE
GENUINELY ELATED AT THE NOVELTY OF LIVING IN THEIR OWN
STATE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN FUTURE. ONE CAN
EXPECT THAT QUESTIONS ABOUT POLITICAL PLURALITY WILL
CONTINUE TO PLAGUE THE RULING HZDS AS SLOVAKIA LOOKS AWAY
FROM THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE AND MORE TOWARD DEVELOPING
BOTH POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY AS A STATE.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, KNAZKO AGAIN TOOK THE ROLE OF
DISSIDENT WITHIN HIS OWN MOVEMENT; IN REPLY TO A POLL
CONDUCTED BY "NARODNA OBRODA," (JANUARY 4), HE REJECTED
THE IDEA THAT THE HZDS A A MOVEMENT IS OVERSENITIVE TO
MEDIA CRITICISM, AND SUGGESTED THE QUESTIONER CONSIDER
WHICH SPECIFIC PERSONS ACT IN SUCH A WAY. HE SAID HE
REGARDS THE OPPOSITION AS AN INDELIBLE PART OF A
PLURALISTIC SYSTEM AND AN INTELLIGENT OPPOSITION AS THE
BEST COLLABORATOR OF A GOVERNING POLITICAL GROUPING.
KNAZKO WAS ALSO TRUE TO THIS THOUGHT WHEN, IN A SIDE
CONVERSATION WITH CHARGE AFTER RECEIVING THE FIRST
DIPLOMATIC VISA ISSUED BY THE US EMBASSY, HE NOTED THAT IT
WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT IN A NEW SUNDAY WEEKLY INTERVIEW
PROGRAM, SLOVAK TV DECIDED TO HAVE THE WIVES OF PROMINENT
GOVERNMENT POLITICIANS (MRS. MECIAR, PROKES, GASPAROVIC,
WEISS, KOVAC), BUT NOT THE WIVES OF MEMBERS OF THE
OPPOSITION. HACKER UNQUOTE
SWIHART